This exclusive interview can be downloaded as an audio file (mp3) from the Fundamental Perspective podcast. The audio is not as clear as I would have liked to have been, so we have transcribed for you here below. Feel free to discuss any of the topics brought up here in the comments section. I looked forward to seeing your perspective!
Kevin:
Welcome to
our very first
broadcast here
at the
Fundamental
Perspective
Podcast, part of
the Fundamental
Perspective Blog.
It’s our opening
day, and, um,
we’re pleased to
have with us,
honored to have
with us,
Evangelist Wil
Rice. Brother
Rice is the
president of the
Bill Rice Ranch,
down in
Murfreesboro,
Tennessee.
Brother Wil,
welcome to our
program.
Rice:
Thank you.
Kevin:
Tell us a
little bit about
the
Bill Rice Ranch.
Rice:
The
Bill Rice Ranch
was started in
1950 because of
the burden my
grandparents had
to reach deaf
people for the
Lord. My Aunt is
deaf, and so,
when she was
still just a
young girl, they
began to be
burdened that
there were no
ministries, no
churches, no one
that was giving
the Gospel to
the deaf people
in a way that
they could
understand. In
those days there
was very little
awareness of
deaf people and
the need there,
in society at
large or even
among those who
had a burden to
give out the
Gospel. So, what
had occurred to
them, that, if
they wanted to
do something
about it, they
were the ones to
do it. And so
they bought an
old dormant
ranch in
Murfreesboro,
Tennessee, in
1950. They
started the camp
three years
later and
invited deaf
young people to
come free of
charge. And
today, of
course, we have
camp for hearing
young folk,
hearing adults,
deaf adults,
deaf young
people. They
come from all
over. They come
in the Fall, in
the Spring, as
well as the
Summer.
Kevin:
How many do
you typically
have in a week?
Rice:
In the summer we
can have a few
hundred every
week. We have
three programs
which run
simultaneously.
We have a
program for
deaf. There’s a
deaf camp. And
they come free
of charge.
Always have. We
have elementary
age boys and
girls. We can
handle about 200
elementary age
boys and girls
at a time. And
then we have a
program for
teenagers. The
general
auditorium can
seat 800. We
usually have
anywhere from 4
to 700 young
people at the
ranch in any
given week. That
can vary from
week to week,
but generally
several hundred.
And then we
have, as I
mentioned,
shorter camps,
three-day camps
throughout the
rest of the
year. And of
course the
camping ministry
is one part of
the Ranch. That
is, the Ranch is
a revival
ministry whose
purpose it is to
give the Gospel
and encourage
churches that
work to do that.
And so the Ranch
is not a camp
that has
ministry it’s a
ministry that
uses camp, among
other avenues,
to reach people.
Kevin:
Well in this
age, the
question we have
is “Why, as a
youth pastor or
as a pastor, in
looking at my
youth group, why
should I send
them to any sort
of camp, whether
it’s the Ranch
or other good
Christian camps?
Why can’t I
spark a revival,
or spark more
spiritual
interest, in my
youth group,
simply by
teaching the
Word of God
faithfully each
week, investing
my life in them?
Why do I have to
travel all the
way to
Tennessee, or
any other camp?
Why would I have
to do that?
What’s the
advantage of
going to a
Christian camp?
Rice:
Well, obviously
you don’t have
to. And,
clearly, it’d be
great to have a
perpetual
state
of revival. I
think most of us
would be hard
pressed to say
that. If you’re
vived you don’t
have to be
revived. But
unfortunately,
because we are
flesh, there is
a need for God
to revive our
hearts, to work
in our hearts,
to make us more
useful for
people to be
saved.
Obviously,
churches should
be burdened
about that, and
if someone’s
thinking that
way, we can do
that here.
That’s good, if
that is their
desire, and
their intent,
and what they’re
shooting for.
The advantage of
camp is that you
can take care of
a lot of
distractions
that you
typically can’t
take care of
somewhere else.
For instance, we
hold a number of
revival
meetings, that
is, special
weeks of
meetings in
local churches
throughout the
year. Any
church I’ve been
privileged to
preach in, there
are a whole slew
of things that I
don’t have any
control over.
The pastor has
no control over.
Every night this
week where I’m
preaching, in so
many words I’ve
encouraged
people about
coming back the
next night. The
pastor has done
as much. I’m
competing with
all kinds of
media before and
after the
service, rotten
television
forty-five
minutes after we
say the last
“amen,” people
who have worked
all day and are
bone-tired, long
distances,
people who are
hungry. We had
revival meetings
at my home
church recently.
I was not
preaching. A
visiting
evangelist was
doing that. But
I was reminded
of how difficult
it is to drive
to church, to be
there, be
involved in the
meetings and all
the
distractions. No
matter how good
the preaching,
no matter how
much has gone
into it, if
people are
sleeping or
distracted,
preaching is
minimized. So at
camp, we use an
acrostic to
describe CAMP at
the
Bill Rice Ranch
and related
ministries.
C.A.M.P.: a
Controlled
Atmosphere for
the Ministry of
Preaching. And
what that means
is, in a
nutshell, is
that you cannot
do this in a
perfect way this
side of Heave.
But there are a
lot of things
you can control
in a camping
atmosphere that
typically you
could not: what
time people get
out and get to
bed, how much
sleep they
receive, … You
can make sure
they’re fed, you
can control, to
some extent, the
kind of
influences that
come to bear on
anyone’s mind.
In short, you
can maximize
opportunities
for preaching
the truth to
help people. As
to what time we
have the
services, how
much time you
give to the
services, the
way you prepare
for the
services, all
those things are
things that in
camp can be a
real help in
doing.
Kevin:
How can you
distinguish
controlling the
atmosphere
for the
ministry of
preaching, as
you said, how do
you distinguish
that from
manipulating
children to get
a decision from
them? You’ll
sit in the
services and
everything’s
orchestrated so
that the child
will make a
decision, and
then, two weeks
later,
everything falls
apart. So it
wasn’t really
real, it was
based on
emotion. How do
you distinguish
between, what
the Ranch is
doing as opposed
to that
objection or
misnomer?
Rice:
That’s a very
good question.
One, I’d have to
concede off hand
that, yes, that
can happen. That
can happen
anywhere. In
fact, probably
both of us have
been in
situations
where, instead
of relying on
God’s power to
convict or
convince people
of a decision
that needs to be
made. People
rely on
manipulation,
and quite
frankly, that
can be done in
the camp
setting, high
school retreat
for a weekend, …
sleep
deprivation and
a number of
other things
that are
designed, I
don’t think,
intentionally.
In other words,
no one intends
to manipulate.
But,
intentionally or
otherwise, yes,
in the context,
people can be
manipulated.
That’s true with
the methodology
sometimes of a
public
invitation.
Having said
that, that
depends on how
you use the
advantages that
you have. So, a
lot of people
can be
manipulated.
Camp is not, or
should not be
about,
manipulation. It
should be about
controlling an
atmosphere where
the truth is
heard and
decisions can be
made. As to
decisions,
speaking of when
you get home, I
think it’s a
little bit of a
fable that if
someone doesn’t
stick to the
decision they
made they don’t
mean it. I don’t
think that’s
true. Making
things right
with God does
not
automatically
give one
character. Nor
does being saved
automatically
give one
character. If
battles were not
a real part of
being a child of
God, then you
could cut out a
lion’s share of
the epistles of
the New
Testament that
warn believers,
not make
believers,
clearly
believers,
against sins
that would make
any of us blush
and should be
shocking but are
not, because
they are part of
a daily struggle
that everyone of
us lives with in
the flesh. So,
to say that
because a
decision is not
maintained once
one goes home is
because they
don’t mean it, I
think it is a
cliché. No, I
think if someone
in my thinking
sort of makes a
decision, either
he does or he
doesn’t. It’s
not a matter of
he didn’t really
make a decision,
either he did or
he didn’t. If he
did, he’s going
to need some
follow up and
he’s going to
need someone to
help him once he
gets back home.
And that’s one
of many reasons
why the Ranch
relies so very
heavily on local
churches. That
is, our purpose
is to help local
churches, we
work through
local churches.
The adults that
bring young
people stay and
work very
closely with
young people
throughout the
week from their
local church. It
helps with
follow up, and I
can say more
about that if
you wish, but,
it helps with
follow up. It
helps young
people know
“Hey, people
from my church
can be a help to
me”, as opposed
to, “Well, the
Bill Rice Ranch
is there,
they’re the
experts with
young people, if
we can just get
them to
Tennessee, they
will be OK.” No,
that’s not the
case. So, follow
up is vitally
important, and,
yes, there’s a
big difference
between
manipulation and
creating an
atmosphere where
the truth can be
heard.
Kevin:
Along those
lines, there are
two things that
I’ve heard that
distinguishes
the Ranch from
other camp
ministries. One
is, the emphasis
on preaching.
Second is what
you just
mentioned, about
unity within the
church, unity
within the youth
group. How does
the Ranch do
that?
Rice:
Another good
question. The
Ranch, again, we
try to do this
in a number of
ways, none of
which, of
course, are
perfectly done.
There are
continually
times that we’ve
thought “We can
do this better,
we can start
something, we
can end
something. It’s
humbling to be
reminded how
often that you
can do things
that are
actually
counter-productive
to your purpose.
But as to unity,
it’s very
important. No
Evangelist worth
his weight in
salt thinks that
he can help a
local church by
dividing the
church
membership. To
the contrary,
the right
revival produces
the right kind
of unity. So,
from the time a
church comes to
the time they
leave they are
functioning as a
church. What is
a church? It is
a body. What is
a body? It is a
unit. And so, a
church operates
as such when it
comes to camp.
On the first day
of camp we
introduce groups
by church. In
the youth weeks
in particular
there is an
inter-state
sports
competition.
People who know
about the Ranch
know primarily
about the sports
competition.
There are a
number of things
that kids can
do. More than
they can do in a
week, a lot of
which is not
sports but none
of the other
activities are
as purposeful as
a sports
competition, for
a number of
reasons. One of
which is that it
helps
preparation,
before you come
to camp, and it
promotes unity
at camp. There
are music
competitions,
generally by
church. Again,
individuals come
all the time,
that’s fine, but
I will tell you
that an
individual will
not benefit from
camp as much as
an individual
from a church
will, because no
matter how much
the Ranch is a
help to that
person, when
they go home
they need to be
planted in a
church. And we
want to maximize
the possibility
of that from the
very beginning
by working
through
churches. So,
cabins are by
church, churches
stay together,
they play
together, they
stay in a cabin
together,
they’re involved
in cabin cleanup
together. In
short, they
maintain a very
strong church
identity, which
is not hurtful
to the churches
as a group. In
fact, pastors
come, enjoy
fellowship.
Youth pastors
come, enjoy
fellowship, one
with another.
And that, I
think, quite
honestly, I
think it is
false to think
that that is
mutually
exclusive in
building church
unity. I think
church and youth
group unity is
primary, and
fellowship with
other churches
is a great
by-product of
that, not in
competition with
them.
Kevin:
Would you
consider the
Bill Rice Ranch
to be a
para-church
ministry? Would
that be a bad
thing?
Rice:
Well, you know,
it’d be better
to defer to you
as opposed to
using a word
that is
obviously has a
connotation that
is very charged.
If you mean
“para-church,”
by what the word
actually means,
which is,
“alongside a
church” - then
yes, our job is
to come
alongside
churches and
help them. If
you’re talking
in the context
of para-church,
paramilitary,
paramedic - no,
because
honestly, that
very phrase is
used to deride
any ministry
that attempts
to come
alongside the
church the way
the Ranch has
and help it. So
yes, the Ranch
is a ministry
who has no
reason for
existence if its
not to help
churches and
come alongside
churches and
encourage them,
just like I
would be
privileged to do
if I were
preaching at a
church that’s
not my own. I’m
there to help,
to come
alongside, to
encourage and
strengthen the
hands of those
who are in
ministry there.
And that’s what
camp can do.
Kevin:
What kind of
accountability
do you have as
the president of
the Ranch?
You’re not under
a local church,
per se, so who
would you answer
to?
Rice:
We answer to a
number of
churches, that
is, every church
that comes to
the Ranch. We
have a board, as
you might
imagine, but
it’s very much
the same kind of
accountability
that any pastor,
or preacher, or
evangelist, or
missionary would
have. Which is
to say, that we
are accountable
to the people
whom we serve.
There’s nobody
who can say “I’m
not accountable,
I’m the man of
God, I’m not
accountable.”
Unfortunately,
that has been an
attitude of a
lot of people. A
man is a pastor,
or an
evangelist, and
he is
seen
as an authority
that has no
authority save
God. And the
truth is, if you
don’t obey the
authorities God
has placed in
your life,
you’re not
obeying The
Authority
either. That
simply doesn’t
hold water. So,
does a Pastor
answer to an
authority? Sure,
he does. At
least he should.
Does a
missionary?
Likewise, yes he
does. Do I
answer to an
authority? Yes,
of course. The
Ranch has
anywhere from
fifteen to
twenty-five
local churches
on a regular
basis that come,
and I can tell
you that any one
of them do, and
can, call me up
and say, “Hey,
I’ve got a
question about
this” or “Hey,
I’ve got a
concern” or
“Hey, this is
great, this has
been an
encouragement.”
Kevin:
Well, the
very fact that
you’re sitting
here answering
these questions…
Rice:
Sure, yes, to
some extent…
Kevin:
Well the
Ranch has been
in existence now
for fifty years,
you’re starting
your fiftieth
anniversary of
ministry. As the
one running the
show here now -
the next fifty
years, what are
your hopes, your
dreams, for this
ministry?
Rice:
Our hopes would
be the same as
they have always
been. The dreams
would be, the
same as they’ve
always been, but
maybe with some
added and new
venues. The
purpose of the
Ranch has been,
from the very
beginning, a
revival
ministry, to
help God’s
people to turn
back to Bible
principles. I’ve
been asked
recently, I
think it’s a
fair question,
“What about
schools going to
year-round
schooling, what
about different
things that are
happening that
would seem to
minimize the
effect of
camping. In my
view, that will
only increase,
not minimize
because of our
busy lives.
People need a
place where they
can get a part
and be a part,
and rest, more
now than ever
before. It’s, by
the way, nothing
new. Churches
have done this
for many years,
and especially
in the early
years of this
country. There
was what was
called brush
arbor Meetings,
or camp
meetings. The
name has a
little bit
different
connotation now
than it did a
hundred years
ago, but the
purpose has been
and was that
people were able
to get away from
their daily
lives and be
able to focus on
what’s important
and eternal. I
think that will
only be more
important as the
days go on. If
schools went
year round,
tomorrow,
universally, and
we could not
have camp all
summer the way
we do now, the
Ranch would
still have
ministry because
the Ranch’s
purpose is to
reach people and
encourage
churches in
their ministry
to do the same.
That’s why we
sponsor an
outreach, an
evangelistic
outreach, to New
York City each
year. That’s why
there are a
number of
evangelists that
base, in
different
capacities, from
the Ranch, make
their home there
when they’re off
on the road. So,
I think we have
thought about
perhaps starting
other camp
ministries as we
have in Arizona
more than
fifteen years
ago, more than
fifteen years
ago. In 1989 we
started the West
Branch of the
Bill Rice Ranch
in northern
Arizona. We have
thought about
other
opportunities.
We have had
opportunity to
help in camps in
the Philippines
for twenty-five
years now, and
so, most of what
we could talk
about right now
would be a
matter of
specifics, and
specific
avenues, not the
main purpose.
The main purpose
has never
changed. The
specific way to
deal with that
are almost
endless. I’m
thrilled about
the coming years
so I’m excited,
because, again,
if camping as a
method became
obsolete
tomorrow, that
would be OK,
because there’d
still be a need,
there’d be a
need to help
churches in the
way that we are,
to come
alongside in the
way that we are,
and there’d be
other ways to
control an
atmosphere for
the ministry of
preaching,
although right
now, camping, as
a method, is a
prime example
and will
probably only
increase in the
days ahead.
Kevin:
Probably the
most unique
aspect of the
Ranch ministry
is the ministry
to the deaf. You
mentioned a
little bit about
it already, but
how did that
come to be?
Rice:
Well, as I
alluded to
earlier, in the
late thirties my
grandparents had
moved from their
home in Texas to
Chicago. By then
they were
studying for the
ministry there,
and it was there
that their first
child, just a
baby, came down
with spinal
meningitis. She
was so ill that
she was not
expected to
live. She lived,
but she was left
deaf, and so, my
grandparents
were concerned
that although
they were
reaching other
people’s
children,
literally around
the country and
other places,
their own
daughter had
never heard the
gospel. One day
my granddaddy
was complaining,
and he said,
“You know, there
are millions of
deaf in the
country and no
one’s doing
anything to
reach them.” And
my grandmother
said, “Well,
don’t you know
who’s going to
reach the deaf?”
And he said,
“No.” She said,
“Well, I do!”
And he said,
“Well, I wish
you’d tell me.”
She said, “You
are. And I’m
going to help
you.” So,
basically, it
was at that
point where they
realized that if
you have a
burden to do
something and
God has given
you that burden,
then you’re the
one who’s
responsible to
do something
about it. We
have a
recognition,
most of us, that
people are in
lands where the
gospel has not
been widespread,
who know nothing
about the
gospel. But the
truth is, we
have many death
young people, on
a regular basis,
who come to the
Ranch who have
never, never
heard the
Gospel, and in
some cases don’t
know who Jesus
is. It’s not
because they’re
dumb, or because
they’re
intrinsically
ignorant, it’s
because no one
has taken the
time. All of us
know what we
know because
someone
has told us. And
unless someone
takes the time
to tell a deaf
young person the
good news of the
gospel, in his
language, he’ll
never hear it.
He’ll never know
it. So, the
Ranch has been
involved in
reaching for the
deaf in
Tennessee, and
of course in
northern
Arizona. We have
rented a number
of camps in
years past up in
New England. A
missionary named
Bob Hymes has
been running
camps, as I’ve
mentioned, for
twenty-five
years in the
Philippines. All
of these deaf
young people
come to these
camps free of
charge, and the
main purpose is
evangelistic.
And of course,
we have weeks
for deaf adults,
which would not
be just
evangelistic but
would also be to
help them grow.
And of course we
preach Christian
growth for deaf
young people but
the primary
need, to this
good day, would
be for the vast
majority of deaf
teenagers are
just hearing the
gospel since
they’ve never
heard it in
their language.
Nathan McConnell
is director of
deaf ministries
at
Bill Rice Ranch.
He is organizing
a number of
events this year
for deaf
friends, both
young and adults
as well.
Kevin:
Well Brother
Rice, I want to
thank you for
coming with us
and joining with
us today. Some
of you don’t
know, but I’ve
been freezing
Brother Will to
death here.
These
southerners are
not used to our
cold weather and
I love things
freezing myself,
and I just
realized that my
air conditioner
was on. And it’s
probably only 50
degrees outside.
So, I’ve been
grilling him and
freezing him,
and I’ve already
been taking up
too much of his
time. He’s got
to head back to
a Revival down
in Connecticut.
And in fact,
just a quick
personal
testimony… At
this church,
Galillean
Baptist Church,
they had a camp
ministry there,
where I went
forward and I
had committed my
life to the
Lord, and that
took me from
being a nominal
Christian to a
Christian who is
now dedicated
and over ten
years later,
here I am, in
Christian
ministry. So
these decisions,
you think
they’re not
necessarily
going to stick
and are just
going to fade
away. But you’ll
never know how
The Lord will
use a ministry
such as the
Ranch and, from
personal
testimony, I’ve
heard many
times, over and
over, the Ranch
has been doing
that for, now,
fifty years.
Brother Will,
just quickly
tell us how can
we learn more
information
about the Ranch,
how can we
contact you?
Rice:
OK, Good! There
are two ways. I
guess,
primarily. One
would be to call
the Ranch and
get information
sent to you.
There is a
toll-free
number, and that
is
1-800-253-RICE.The
other would be
to go on the web
site which is
www.billriceranch.org.
Kevin: And that’ll be linked for you on the front page of our blog this week. And thank you, Brother Will, again, for coming on the program. Thank you for listening, and have a great rest of your day.
Special Thanks to James Thompson (my father) who transcribed this interview for us.
